Here's the little baby hummingbird just waiting for Mama to bring him some food.
Hummingbirds have long tongues and I didn't know that until I saw this photo.
To reach the nectar at the base of a long flower tube, a hummingbird will extend its tongue past the bill to a distance at least as long as the bill. I’m not sure if the baby hummingbird was trying to lap something up or just preparing for his Mama and feeding time.
The Mama hummingbird arrives for a feeding.....she's on the left and baby has cocked his head away from the camera for the feeding so I didn't get any good photos.
He was looking around for his Mama......we could hear her but couldn't see her.
Hummingbirds feed by dipping their tongues into nectar at up to 12 times a second. The mother humming bird will eat nectar and bugs and then regurgitate the substance into a slurry mixture the baby hummingbirds can digest. She inserts her beak all the way down into the mouths of the baby hummingbirds while dropping the regurgitated insects and nectar inside.
Almost grown and ready to venture out on its own.
Hope you enjoyed the last few posts on these extraordinary little creatures. I sure had fun watching and photographing them.
Marta